Chapter 2
Chapter 2 is the second chapter of the Japanese manga Beauty Pop, written and illustrated by Kiyoko Arai. Chapter 2 was published in Ciao magazine's October 2003 issue, and later re-published in Beauty Pop Volume 1 by Shogakukan on February 26th, 2004. Beauty Pop Volume 1 has been officially translated into English (Viz Media), French (Soleil Manga), Chinese (Tong Li Comics) and Vietnamese (TVM Comics). This chapter follows the story of Kayo Yamamoto, who is desperate for her short hair to grow longer so that she can confess her love to a boy named Junpei. Plot The chapter opens with a girl, Kayo Yamamoto, dropping a basketball in disbelief because she's learned her crush, Junpei, is going to transfer to another school. Elsewhere, Kiri Koshiba is getting ready to leave for school, but as she walks past a mirror she notices a small piece of her hair has grown longer than the rest. She grabs her fingers, spins them around her finger, and trims her hair. She then says goodbye to Shampoo and leaves for school. At the school, Kayo follows Shogo Narumi down the hallway, begging him to give her a Scissors Project makeover. He refuses, insisting that at the moment he only want to cut medium-length hair, and Kayo's short hair is unsuitable. He storms off and slams the classroom door behind him. In the classroom, Shogo furiously trims a long wig on a mannequin head, and Minami Kei and Kazuhiko Ochiai try to figure out why he's so angry. Kazuhiko speculates that Shogo is still angry because Kanako Aoyama's hair was cut so beautifully, and compliments the unknown stylist, suggesting they may even be better than Shogo. Shogo bristles, and insists that one day, he will be Japan's number 1 hairstylist, pointing to the large shelf full of trophies he has won. Kazuhiko boredly agrees that they all know that he has won the Professional Hairstyling Competition every year since he was 7, but Minami interjects that it's not true, because he lost the competition once in 4th Grade. In a flashback, Shogo recollects the competition he lost as a child, the Teen's Haircutting Contest. In the flashback, Shogo sees a cute girl, and decides he will show of his skills to impress her. However, the cute girl wins the contest, despite being a year younger than him. Shogo decides that he will one day have his revenge, and that no-one will surpass him ever again. Back in the present day, Kazuhiko tells Minami that the girl who defeated Shogo was Shogo's first love. Outside, Kiri and Kanako Aoyama are running on the track during P.E., and Kiri notices that Kanako has her new hairstyle in bunches. Kanako, embarassed, apologises because Kiri had cut her hair so beautifully, but that she still wasn't used to it. Kiri just smiles at her and tells her that she won't get angry. In a classroom, Shogo notices Kiri's running outside, and internally scoffs at her messy hairstyle. A strong gust of wind blows and messes up all the runners' hair, including Kiri's, but when the wind stops, Kiri's hair falls back into exactly how it was before. Incensed, Shogo stands up in the middle of the class and exclaims that he doesn't understand how her hair went back to it's original state, but becomes embarrassed when a teacher calls him out for shouting outloud in the middle of class. Kazuhiko, sitting next to him, tells Shogo that Kiri's family owns a beauty salon. Later, in the cafeteria, Kiri, Kanako, and Taro Komatsu are eating their lunch together, and Taro is still in awe of the Scissors Project performance the previous day, telling the others that the girl who was chosen has already successfully confessed to her crush. Meanwhile, the same girl from before, Kayo Yamamoto, is begging Shogo for help once again. Minami asks him why he won't just help her after she has begged so pitifully. A boy, Junpei, mocks her, asking if she has lost her pride, and that not even Scissors Project can help a girl like her. Kayo, bursting into tears, flees. Junpei's friends scold him for being so cruel. Shogo then approaches Kiri, telling her that he's heard her family owns a beauty salon, but jeering that it can't be a very good one based on the look of her hair, and touches it to look at the cutting technique. Kiri smacks his hand away and scolds him for touching her. Kiri then examines Shogo's hair, and tells him it's "not too shabby". As she walks away, she tells him that although Shogo wants to be Japan's number 1 hairstylist someday, she knows someone better at hairstyling than him. This makes Shogo get so angry that he blushes bright red, which makes Minami and Kazuhiko laugh at him. Shogo does not believe that there can be someone better at hairstyling than him. Later, Kiri and Kanako visit Taro's family's general store, the Komatsu ¥88 Store, to check out the new merchandise. While they're there, Kayo walks in, and asks Taro if the shampoo in her hands can make hair grow back more quickly. Kiri, Kanako, and Taro follow Kayo to a park, and she explains that she desperately wants her hair to grow long, because Junpei used to have a crush on her when she had longer hair, but as soon as she cut her hair Junpei had begun to pick on her. Kayo wants to confess her feelings to Junpei with the long hair that he used to like. Kayo leaves, resigned to the fact it is impossible for her to suddenly grow her hair without using a wig. The next morning, when Kayo leaves for school, she finds Shampoo with a note on his head, telling her to go to the Koshiba Beauty Salon on Ajisai Street. When she does, she finds Kiri, who promises Kayo that she will help Kayo add some magic. Later that morning, at the school, Junpei is commiserating with his classmates about it being his last day before he transfers to a new school. However, they are interrupted by Kayo, who's hair is now long and in two long bunches. Kayo confesses that she has always liked him, and he asks, if that's true, why did she suddenly cut her hair? She explains she was forced to cut her hair because the basketball team forbids long hair. Junpei is overwhelmed by how cute Kayo looks, and regrets the fact her has to transfer, but promises he will email her and find time to see her. They kiss. On the sidelines, Kazuhiko admires the hair extensions that someone has attached so skillfully that they look like her natural hair. He muses that the person who styled Kayo's hair must be the same person who styled Kanako's. Appearances Category:Manga Chapters Category:Volume 1